Ring of Ma'rûf MTG Card

Offers unmatched ability to include off-game cards, increasing strategic options available during play. Activation requires significant mana resources, potentially impeding other tactical plays. Countering the ring involves hindering card searches or prompt artifact removals.

Arabian Nights (ARN)
1993-12-17 - Number 68

Masters Edition (ME1)
2007-09-10 - Number 163

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact

Text of card

o5: Instead of drawing a card from the top of your library, select one of your cards from outside the game. This card can be any card you have that you're not using in your deck or that for some reason has left the game. Ring of Ma'rûf is removed from the game entirely after use.

Cards like Ring of Ma'rûf

The Ring of Ma’rûf invites a comparison with a unique subset of Magic the Gathering cards that offer access to unorthodox resources. Like the famed Wishes series—cards like Burning Wish or Cunning Wish—the Ring of Ma’rûf enables players to obtain cards from outside the current game. This ability stands apart by focusing on the game’s exiled zone, also known as “outside the game” in casual play. While Burning Wish might allow a player to grab a sorcery from their sideboard, Ring of Ma’rûf takes it a step further by not restricting the type of card you can retrieve, much like Mastermind’s Acquisition does in a more recent context.

Moreover, the Ring is more versatile in comparison to Glittering Wish, which only fetches multicolored cards from outside the game. In this light, Ring of Ma’rûf pushes boundaries, offering a unique degree of flexibility. Additionally, unlike the sorcery-speed restriction posed by the Wishes series, the Ring can be activated at instant speed, though with a considerable mana investment and the card heading to exile afterward. Unquestionably, within the rich tapestry of MTG’s vast card pool, Ring of Ma’rûf stands out as a powerful tool for players valuing card accessibility and strategic depth.

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Ring of Ma’rûf provides a unique way to access cards outside your game, effectively expanding your library and options. This ability can be the key to finding the perfect answer or threat that isn’t normally available in your deck, which significantly tips the scale in terms of card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Ring itself does not directly accelerate resources, it enables players to fetch potentially any game-changing artifact or piece of ramp from outside the game. This capability can lead to pivotal plays where acceleration from external sources is introduced to the battlefield, catapulting you ahead of your opponents in terms of resources.

Instant Speed: While the Ring of Ma’rûf’s ability isn’t at instant speed, the option to activate it at the end of your opponent’s turn just before your turn begins, creates strategic flexibility. This timing allows you to safely navigate through your opponent’s threats while preserving the element of surprise, bringing in an unexpected solution or win condition at a moment’s notice.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Using the Ring of Ma’rûf requires exiling it as part of its activation cost, which can be seen as a form of discard that permanently removes it from your game. This steep requirement means you’ll lose the artifact after a single use, potentially limiting its strategic value over the course of longer games.

Specific Mana Cost: The activation of Ring of Ma’rûf’s ability necessitates a considerable investment of five generic mana. Since mana resources are pivotal in any match, having to allocate such a large amount to activate a single card can complicate your game plan and delay the execution of other strategic moves within that turn.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Ring of Ma’rûf offers the unique ability to obtain almost any card from outside the game, its initial casting cost plus the activation fee amounts to a high total mana expenditure. In competitive play, there are other cards and strategies that might provide a greater advantage or more immediate impact for a lower cost, which can make the Ring less appealing in fast-paced or mana-efficient decks.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Ring of Ma’rûf introduces dynamic adaptability to your deck, letting you bring almost any card into the game from outside of your library. This allows for a flexible approach to in-game strategy, tailoring your plays to the evolving board state.

Combo Potential: This artifact’s unique ability to fetch any card can become the linchpin in a variety of combos, especially in formats where sideboards may contain powerful one-off solutions or silver bullets that synergize with your deck’s core mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to be long and grindy, Ring of Ma’rûf offers a significant advantage by providing access to a broader range of answers or threats, thereby increasing your deck’s competitive edge in diverse meta situations.

How to beat

The Ring of Ma’rûf is a unique artifact from the annals of Magic: The Gathering, harking back to the older sets where its power allowed players to bring outside-the-game cards into play. This can be a creative way to get an edge during games, yet, despite its seemingly potent effect, there are strategies to counter it effectively.

To outmaneuver a player using the Ring of Ma’rûf, it’s essential to disrupt their ability to search for cards. One tactic is to employ card effects that limit searching libraries, such as with Aven Mindcensor or Stranglehold. These cards can significantly limit the Ring’s utility by preventing the player from fetching the perfect answer from their collection. Additionally, quick removal of artifacts can thwart your opponent’s plans. Direct artifact removal spells like Disenchant or more universal removal like Chaos Warp can eliminate the Ring before it can be activated, preserving the integrity of your gameplan. Alternatively, a focus on preemptive measures through hand disruption can ensure that the Ring never sees the light of play, with cards like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek leading the charge.

Staying one step ahead with the right counters, removals, and hand attacks transitions your game from being reactive to proactive, ensuring that the Ring of Ma’rûf’s masterplan is always just out of reach.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ring of Ma'rûf MTG card by a specific set like Arabian Nights and Masters Edition, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Ring of Ma'rûf and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ring of Ma'rûf Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1993-12-17 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Dan Frazier.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1993-12-17	Arabian Nights	ARN		68	1993	Normal	Black	Dan Frazier
2	2007-09-10	Masters Edition	ME1		163	1997	Normal	Black	Dan Frazier

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ring of Ma'rûf has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ring of Ma'rûf card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2007-09-16	Ring of Ma’rûf works a little differently than the Wishes from others sets. Rather than letting you simply put a card into your hand from outside the game, this ability replaces your next draw. If you wouldn’t draw a card during the rest of the turn, the ability won’t have any effect.